Why Me?"
by Tirzah
Summary: The continuing mis-adventures of Holly Harding. Sequel to "Would you like a straight jacket with that" Read that one first.
1. Default Chapter

N. This is a sequel for "Would you like a straight jacket with that?" That short story seems to have gone over well. Better than I expected. So I am sitting down to do the promised sequel. A few things first: yes, I do work in Taco Bell and decided to let my frustrations out by imagining things even worse. That's how the story was born. Also I would like to apologize about the paragraphs. I realize that it irritates everyone when the paragraphs are mushed together. It irritates me too because I don't write them like that. I write in paragraphs with indentations and everything. I don't know why it doesn't show up that way of FFN. If anyone can tell me what I can do about it I would be very grateful. I don't know if this matters but I use Microsoft Word and AOL. Neither can be changed. I am going to try an experiment of several lines between paragraphs. If this works I'll edit and re-submit my other works with the same problem. If it doesn't work. I tried! I got my inspiration for this part from all of Red Witch's detention fics.  
  
  
  
Holly Harding's stream of bad luck seemed to be holding. She had spent hours on the lobby. When she got home, it was late and she was a mess. Her parents were extremely displeased though they did realize that there was only so much she could have done.  
  
But she did have school.. She had come home so late that she didn't get enough sleep. This caused her to be late for school; fail a math test (and she needed all the help she could get with math); fall asleep during two classes; and earn herself the first detention she had ever gotten in her entire life.  
  
  
  
She dragged her feet slowly looking for the right room. She was not looking forward to her first detention. Not to mention was still a little groggy. This wasn't fair! If those clowns hadn't come so late at night and started a food fight none of this would have happened! She got to the detention classroom, opened the door, took a look inside, shut the door, and stand outside trying not to scream or cry or anything.  
  
They were all there! Every single one of them! She took another look. Well, not quite all. There had been some identical kids running around all night. It had felt like fifteen of them but she finally decided there were three and they ran around a lot. A lot of weird stuff had happened and she was, for the sake of her sanity, ignoring it. Not one of those kids was in detention, but another, Misty or Risty or someone was. She looked about as happy to be there as Holly felt.  
  
She was trying to think of some alternative to spend an hour with a bunch of lunatics. She could skip detention; but that would probably get her in more trouble. She could beg the principal. She could run away and deliver milk bottles in Canada. She could dig ditches just about anywhere. She could.  
  
While she was still thinking the teacher in charge of the detention came up. After determining that she was indeed supposed to be in detention, he demanded to know what she was doing outside the door.  
  
  
  
"Please don't make me go in there! I'll wash your car! I'll shine your shoes! I'll press your tie! Anything! Just don't make me go in there!" Holly started begging.  
  
"What utter nonsense! What is your problem?" The teacher took one look in the classroom. and immediately ran the other way. Less than a minute later, Holly heard a car rev up and squeal out of the parking lot.  
  
  
  
Holly waited another minute. Nothing happened. "Oh well. Guess there's no detention." And started to walk away.  
  
## Oh no you don't. Even if the teacher isn't there you still have to stay in detention. ##  
  
  
  
Holly groaned. She knew that voice. It was her conscience. There were many times she was glad she had such an active conscience. This wasn't one of them. However she also knew she wouldn't get any peace unless she actually went in and sat amongst the lunatics for at least an hour. Hopefully she could sleep or get to homework done.  
  
She walked in and sat at a desk. The smaller group, were annoying that Misty what's-her-name girl. They were also annoying the other group. The other group mainly sat around blaming the smaller group. If she was figuring things out correctly there had been some kind of fight at lunch and that's how the two groups wound up in detention. She tried ignoring them and working on her math homework. It took five minutes for the groups to realize she was there and remember her from the night before. About then Whitehair decided she might be more fun to tease than the other girl. Either that or he really expected her to be flattered by his 'charms'. Actually she was just getting a headache. It is very difficult to work on a hard subject with someone buzzing in your ear, talking a mile a minute telling you how wonderful he is. And if you hold him partially to blame for bad events the night before, then it gets nigh on impossible.  
  
After a few minutes of this water torture she got up, walked over to the wall, and without saying a word, started to bang her head forcefully into the wall. Maybe if she gave herself a concussion or knocked herself out she wouldn't have to listen to him any more! If he would just SHUT UP!  
  
Naturally one can not go banging their head against the wall without attracting some sort of audience. It wasn't long before she felt a hand grab her arm and gently pull her away from the wall. She knew it wasn't the incessant babbler but had no idea who it was and didn't even look. She had her eyes closed by now and felt herself being led back to her desk.  
  
The strangest thing was probably that the white-haired kid still hadn't shut up! Holly finally cracked. She leapt out of her seat; grabbed his shirt and stared him right in the eyes, "Listen up! I have had enough! Do you know how much trouble you caused me?! Do you know how late I got home last night?! I wouldn't even be in detention if it weren't for you! But no! I had to get caught in a food fight, slip on some ice in a hundred-degree weather, stay until the lobby was cleaned and go home looking like the creature from the black lagoon! If you want to have a food fight do it somewhere else!" Her voice never got above a loud whisper but as her strange performance had silenced the room, everyone heard every word.  
  
She then let go of his shirt and sat down trying to figure out why she snapped. She had never lost her temper like this. Meanwhile what's-her- name had started clapping and within seconds nearly everyone in the room was clapping. Apparently she wasn't the only one getting annoyed by him. Someone tapped her on the arm. She swallowed the reflex to snap and looked as calmly as possible up. It was a brown-haired kid from the night before. He also must have been the one to lead her away from the wall.  
  
"Did it hurt?"  
  
  
  
"Did what hurt?"  
  
  
  
"Falling on the ice."  
  
It had hurt. A lot. It still hurt. It hurt to walk, to sit or to bend over. But she wasn't going to tell him that. "I'll live."  
  
"I'm sorry."  
  
"It wasn't your fault." He got the strangest look on his face at hearing that but Holly ignored it.  
  
"My name's Bobby Drake."  
  
"Holly Harding" She then learned everyone else's name. Still a little awed no one was fighting anymore. They began talking about school in general. The 'x-men' and 'brotherhood' whoever they were still weren't getting along to well but they weren't driving her nuts anymore.  
  
"Where is the teacher?" asked Red Hair ('Jean' Holly remembered.)  
  
"He took one look in here and ran." Holly told her.  
  
"That wasn't nice."  
  
"It's true! He did! I saw him!"  
  
"So why are you in detention?" White hair ('Pietro') asked, from a very safe distance.  
  
"Peace of mind."  
  
Bobby had turned out to be good in math and had offered to help her out. Most everyone else apologized for causing so much disorder the night before. And Risty admired that she had managed to shut Pietro up. Holly had to admit that by the end of detention there was a chance that she had new friends.  
  
A.N. Okay that's the end of that. I don't think it was quite as good as the first. Now I need your opinions. Should I:  
  
Quit writing Holly stories.  
  
Quit writing altogether. You think I'd do better as a ditch digger.  
  
Continue writing Holly stories.  
  
If you want me to continue should I leave her human or make her a mutant?  
  
Leave her human. There are too many new mutant stories as it is.  
  
Make her a mutant. (if so her power would likely be quite low-key)  
  
Should she find out these people are mutants: No leave her oblivious. It's funnier.  
  
Have her find out.  
  
If she is a mutant should she: Be oblivious to her power.  
  
Try to hide it from the x-men and brotherhood not realizing they are mutants too.  
  
Realize that both they and she are mutants but not join either.  
  
Please let me know what you think. 


	2. Chapter Two

A.N. Well the reviews were good and no one told me to stop writing altogether. No one even asked me to stop writing 'Holly' Stories. In fact obviously some people still want to read more. Okay, every review wanted her to remain human. And nearly every review wanted her to remain oblivious, for now at least. Well, your wish is my command. I doubt I can leave her oblivious forever, but for now she will be. However, not being an idiot and the mutants always so 'careful' I imagine it will eventually be inevitable that she finds out.  
  
Holly Harding was once again amazed at the fact that once you meet a person; you seem to run into them everywhere. After cleaning up after their food fight, she had run into the Institute and Brotherhood kids again the next day in detention. Now, later that same day, while working at Taco Bell, who should walk in but some of the Institute kids. It was Scott, Jean, and it looked like Bobby was tagging along. He didn't seem too happy about tagging along but then, being a fifth wheel never is fun. Holly wasn't quite sure how she felt about this. She had learned during detention that they weren't so entirely bad, but still they had given her a rough time the night before which was how she got detention in the first place. She decided to play it by ear.  
  
"Hi!"  
  
They seemed a little surprised to see her, they must have not thought she'd be working. They also said hi, and asked her how she was before placing their orders. One thing, she refused to give them sauce. She didn't even ask if they wanted any. And perhaps remembering the night before, they didn't ask for any.  
  
Now if she understood correctly, Jean was supposed to be going out with some football player and Scott was supposed to be going out with a friend of Jean's. However, if Holly was reading things right, they were more than a little interested in each other. Considering the looks on Bobby's face, ranging from bored to a little disgust, he seemed to think so to.  
  
Holly was washing tables by now, and Bobby, seeing that the 'lovebirds' were not paying him the slightest attention and that Holly looked their way a few times decided that an audience, of any sort, was not to be wasted, and he started making funny faces at her. She tried not to smile as that would only encourage him, found that a few times she had to look down, hair in her face and bite her lip to keep from laughing out loud.  
  
The one time she did laugh, Jean and Scott stopped talking looked at her, and then at Bobby, the latter managed to pull up such an innocent looking face that you knew he had to be up to some thing. Just then her manager called her in. Since she had worked so late the night before, they were letting her off early today so that she wouldn't wind up with overtime. She went in the back to count her drawer to make sure it was correct. After she finished that and was punching out she noticed Bobby standing around looking bewildered.  
  
"What's wrong?" Holly asked.  
  
"Do you know where they went?"  
  
"Who? Jean and Scott?"  
  
"Yeah, I went to the bathroom and when I came back they were gone."  
  
"Hmm. Were they mad at you?"  
  
"No. I don't think so."  
  
Holly was starting to feel bad for him. "Could they have forgotten somehow that you were here?"  
  
"I suppose they must have. Are you leaving now?"  
  
"Yeah, they let me off early because I was here so late last night. They don't want me running into overtime."  
  
At the mention of the infamous night before Bobby winced. "I don't think I ever apologized for that. I'm really sorry. I guess I should be glad we could still come in here. I think we forgot."  
  
Holly had mostly forgiven them for the night before but she still had to get a point across. "I can't stop any of you from coming. And I can't make your groups get along. BUT if there is another fight, food or otherwise, I will call the police. I have to."  
  
Bobby winced again. "I understand. Hey, how about, to prove to you how sorry I am, I'll treat you to ice cream."  
  
There was an ice cream store across the way a bit. Holly thought for a minute. Finally deciding that it was perfectly safe, (and never turn down free food!) she agreed. At the ice cream store, she looked at all the choices trying to come to a decision. She hated making decisions. She still hadn't made up her mind when it came their turn, and remembering how much she hated it when customers couldn't make up their minds, she just picked the first flavor that came to mind. "Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough." Then came another difficult choice. One scoop or two. Remembering that she wasn't paying she thought perhaps one would be best. Bobby however had other ideas.  
  
"Hey, I'm trying to prove that I'm sorry. If you want two, get two." She tried to tell him that it was fine. "Does it still hurt?"  
  
A bit mystified, "Does what still hurt?"  
  
"From slipping on the ice." As if it were the most natural thing in the world. Why was he so hung up on the ice? So many things had happened that they could be held directly responsible for, why was he so hung up on the one thing he had nothing to do with, she wondered. But she still didn't want to tell him that she was still pretty sore. But she couldn't lie either.  
  
"I'll be fine."  
  
He took that to mean she was still hurt and ordered two scoops. Holly had a bit of a headache from work and decided not to argue with him anymore.  
  
While they were eating their ice cream they talked. Nothing earth shattering, just the usual. Mostly school. By comparing notes, they discovered that they had the same math and English classes. Since Holly did well in English and lousy in Math, and Bobby did well in Math and not to good in English. They agreed to help each other out. They weren't in the same grade. Holly was one year older and one grade above Bobby. She could see how he got into a more advanced math course, but wasn't quite sure how they wound up with the same English class. After the finished their ice creams, eating outside so they could keep an eye out for Jean and Scott; the aforementioned couple still hadn't made an appearance.  
  
So Holly agreed to drive Bobby back to the mansion. She tried to ask him some questions about life in the mansion but he didn't seem to want to talk about it much. He tried, but every time he tried to tell her something he had to stop part way through. She was curious now but decided it was none of her business. And was it just her, or was it freezing in the car. She turned the AC down a notch so she wouldn't start shivering. Bobby seemed oblivious to the cold. What was really strange was the fact that it felt warmer almost immediately after she asked him if he was cold. She decided that her mind was playing tricks on her and to concentrate on driving instead.  
  
The mansion wasn't too far away so they got there in pretty good time. She said she'd see him tomorrow and drove off. 


	3. Chapter Three

A.N. Well, so far the Holly series seems popular. By the way, 'Holly' is based very extensively on a real person and the way she acts and reacts is also like how the real person probably would. I don't know if you are interested in knowing that but now you know. So far most of my votes have been for human and oblivious, some said she couldn't remain oblivious forever, someone suggested maybe she be changed unnaturally, and someone suggested she be a mutant and not join either side. I have an idea that might satisfy all those suggestions; but that is for later. For right now she remains oblivious.  
  
The next day in school, Holly walked into her history room. Only one other person was there. It was Todd Tolensky. (A.N. Please ignore spelling errors). She smiled, said hi, and went to her usual seat up front. She then took out her book and started to read. It was a fairly suspenseful book and she was at an exciting part. She absently shooed away a fly a few times. Then she heard a weird sort of smacking sound, and then silence. The hairs on the back of her neck started to rise. Part of her mind was still too engrossed in the book to notice the real world. The other part of her imagination went into overdrive. She forced that part of her mind into check telling herself that if there were some scary homicidal guy in the room, Todd would tell her. Well, maybe not tell her, but if he ran out screaming that would be a hint. She also told herself that there was no power on earth strong enough to make her turn around. Then, she put all of her attention back into the book and totally forgot the incident.  
  
She had math next. Her favorite (NOT!) class. Sigh. At least she saw a friendly face. Bobby smiled encouragingly at her as she walked in the room. Because of the way the seating chart was made up (in alphabetical order) she was just diagonal a seat from in the next row. She asked him about whether or not the 'oh-so-responsible' pair remembered about him. He told he that he didn't know. He hadn't gotten a chance to talk to them yet. However the Professor hadn't seemed happy with them. The class started then, so they didn't have anymore time to talk. Holly spent the rest of the period wishing Pythogoras had left well enough alone and never decided to make up weird rule about triangles.  
  
She ran into Pietro again at lunch. literally. Well actually he ran into her. She ignored him and tried not to wonder how on earth he was talking so fast. He was giving her a definite headache. He got bored quickly and moved on. She sat by herself in a corner. She always did. She always had. It didn't bother her. Okay, so she didn't have any close friends and never had. She didn't mind.too much. She continued reading her book.  
  
Unfortunately, she ran into him during biology too. They turned out to be in the same class. And since he was buzzing around annoying her, they got stuck as lab partners. Today they were dissecting a worm. Holly had always taken school very seriously and was very annoyed when working with partners because they often didn't take school quite so seriously. Actually she hated working with partners for many reasons. Any way, after a few minutes of his non-stop chatter, she asked him if he wanted to cut or read instruction. She was hoping that she could do a good bit of the hands-on work because that was her style but figured she should offer first. He paled a little. Rather than laughing at him, she quietly suggested he read the directions. Not everybody was handling the dissections well. However, other than not liking the smell of the formaldehyde, Holly was doing fine. The teacher was passing by inspecting specimens.  
  
"What's this?" asked Holly, lifting up some brown goop out of her worm with her scalpel. It was apparently too much for the other kid. He almost fainted. He sat down first though and breathed deeply. Blessed silence. Which lasted till just after clean up. By then he was back to normal. Finally she had enough. "Aren't you ever quiet!" Unfortunately she said this a little to loud and earned herself another detention. Sigh!  
  
Last class of the day was English. They were going to be starting a section on Shakespeare. Holly smiled. This could be fun! Unfortunately, it involved picking partners again. Her optimism faded. No one ever wanted her as a partner, and without an almost engraved invitation, she wouldn't intrude where she might not be wanted. She tried her usual method. Eyes scanning the room, she tried to figure out whom the teacher would assign her to.  
  
"Pssst! Holly!" She heard a whisper. Looking for its source she spotted Bobby. She had forgotten he said he was in this class to. They agreed to be partners and listed for the rest of the teacher's instructions. Apparently, they had to choose a Shakespearean play, and explain it to the rest of the class. The more extras they did the better their grade. They exchanged phone numbers, after Holly all but threatened him with severe bodily harm if he even THOUGHT about making prank calls or giving the number to anyone else who might make prank calls. She didn't know him that well yet but had picked up that he was a bit of a clown.  
  
School was over by then, but she had detention for shouting at Pietro in Bio. And considering how he was always in the midst of something anyway, they was a chance he'd be in detention too. She sighed and grabbed her secret weapon from her locker before heading to detention. She was only vaguely surprised that the detention group was the exact same from yesterday. Perhaps they had been assigned detention for a few days. Scott and Jean were apologizing to Bobby for leaving him. He seemed to be sulking but Holly had a feeling it was all an act. Risty looked ready to pull her own hair out. The brotherhood was shooting spitballs at her. Jubilee (wasn't that what they were calling her), Amara, Ray, and Roberto where playing cards. Kitty was talking to Rogue who looked bored to tears. Kurt was trying to get Kitty's attention (good luck) and Evan was casting dagger glares at Pietro whenever he got hit with a spitball.  
  
Pietro must have decided to annoy her some more because the next thing she knew, he was sitting next to her talking a mile a minute. That was when she pulled out her secret weapon. She pulled her walk-man out of her book bag. Adjusted her headphones, pressed play, turned up the volume to as loud as she could without hurting her ears, and sang along with the tape. Of Christmas Carols. IN September. Early, HOT September. Not to mention as her manager once put it, she couldn't carry a tune if it had a handle. She was sensitive about that but couldn't stop singing. Actually as long as she was singing along with something or someone, she wasn't too bad. There were a few smiles. Some even joined in. The problem was that these where the Church Christmas carols and not usually sung as often. That and it was rare for most people to know more than the first verse of them. She could often do a second or third verse before getting stuck. Some she knew all of the verses of. There was an advantage to growing up in the Church. She wasn't surprised there wasn't a teacher again. In fact she was counting on there not being one. She was singing pretty loud. But hey, she couldn't hear him. 


	4. Chapter Four

A.N. Okay, I haven't updated in a while. Sorry! College is tough! Plus I spend way to much time reading fics. I will sincerely try to be better.  
  
Chapter Four  
  
Unfortunately for Holly, her walkman broke down about half-way through detention. By then she had run out of song ideas. So of course who should be buzzing around annoying her but Pietro himself. If he didn't shut up, she was going to... Suddenly, she smiled. It was a bit mean but she had had enough!  
  
She turned to him smiling and said in a super-sugary concerned voice, "I'm so glad to see that you are feeling better." He looked a bit puzzled and everyone else looked curiously at them. She ignored them. "I mean, I thought you were going to faint back in Biology." She made sure to put an emphasis on the word faint. She could hear a few snickers. "You were so pale. I guess some people have a more delicate temperament."  
  
Pietro was turning red. Everyone else was at least chuckling. Many were laughing their heads off. She didn't have to say another word. Already people were asking him if he was afraid of a "widdle worm". Holly just went back to her book.  
  
"Hey," she looked up. It was Bobby. "Do you want to get started on that English project?"  
  
"Good idea. What's your favorite Shakespearian play?"  
  
"Uh.."  
  
"Let me guess, that's like asking me my favorite mathematician."  
  
"Well, how many Shakespeare's plays do you know?"  
  
"Hm, Let's see. I've read: Taming of the Shrew, Merchant of Venice, Much ado about Nothing, Hamlet, McBeth, Julius Ceaser, and A Midsummer's Night Dream, but that was in comic book format so that doesn't count. I've seen but not read: Othello, King Lear and Comedy of Errors. I haven't seen or read but I know the plot of Twelfth Night, and As you like it."  
  
Bobby was staring at her by then, "How many plays did he write?"  
  
"Somewhere around thirty I believe, and don't forget I think it was also a hundred sonnets."  
  
"Sheesh. This guy didn't know when to shut up. Which is your favorite?"  
  
"Taming of the Shrew, without a doubt. I don't know why. But it is."  
  
"That's some sort of mushy romance, isn't it?" Pietro butted in evidently having gotten his pride back.  
  
Holly rolled her eyes, "It is a romance but it is not mushy. It's a play within a play. You see it begins with a noble returning from the day's hunt and finding a drunk passed out on the ground. He decides to play a joke on the drunk by taking him to his (the noble's) house, dressing him in fine clothes and have all the servants keep treating him as a lord. While he is doing this, the players come by to put on a play, "The Taming of the Shrew." In that there is a wealthy merchant who has two daughters.." She quickly realized she was losing her audience. "The movie '10 things I hate about you' was based on it. Mind you I haven't seen that movie but I know the basic plot is similar."  
  
"Oh, cool. That might work."  
  
"Uh, you are probably going to want a copy with notes at the bottom of the page." Seeing that Bobby looked a little miffed at her estimate of his intelligence, she scanned the room (A.N. Pretend their in an English classroom) until she saw a copy on the shelves. She quickly looked for the right part. "Why, Petruchio is coming, in a new hat and an old jerkin, a pair of old breeches thrice turned; a pair of boots that have been candle- cases, one buckled, another lac'd: an old rusty sword tane out of the Town Armory, with a broken hilt, and chapelesse: with two broken point: his horse hip'd with and old mothy saddle and stirrups of no kindred: besides possest with the glanders, and like to mose in the chine, troubled with the Lampasse, infected with the fashions, full of Windegalls, sped with Spavins, raied with the Yellows, past cure of the Fives, starke spoyl'd with the Staggers, begnawn with the Bots, Waid in the back, and sholder- shotten... The paragraph goes on but I think that's enough to prove my point. Oh, don't forget that there's archaic spelling too." She smiled at the lost looks on everybody's face. "Isn't language fun?"  
  
"Notes, check."  
  
  
  
A.N. Okay I ran out of inspiration. Hopefully next chapter will be more interesting. I left out most of the archaic spellings in the last paragraph but some or it is still there. No you are not supposed to be able to figure that all out. Don't worry. I'm sure you are all aware that I do not own Shakespeare or any of his works or the movie '10 Things I Hate About You'. I haven't seen the movie but it really is based on 'Taming of the Shrew'. There will be more about the project but not likely too much. 


End file.
